Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, has commended Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson on delivering on dividends of democracy and visible infrastructural development structures.

Professor Gana, stated this Thursday, while commissioning the new information House Yenagoa, as part of the 6th anniversary of Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson’s administration

Gana disclosed that years ago he had the opportunity to commission the radio Abuja and today he is also privilege to commission the information house in the state, adding that the truth will told here, the people will be set free and become greater people and a wonderful foundation has been laid for democracy to strive.

The former minister who led the delegate including, former minister of information Mr. Labaran Maku, Chief John Odeh, Muktar Shagari a former deputy governor of Sokoto state, a media activist Ochei Elias and a former commissioner for information, Louis Odion, noted that the government system will be effective if accurate information are passed.

During a panel of discussion with the theme “managing government information in our volatile new media age” a matter of theory or a question of practical, he opined that there’s a close relationship between democracy and information dissemination.

He observed that managing information is the most difficult thing because if you pass it this way, the people take it another way.

For Labaran Maku, the topic of discussion was important because “Information has become people driven, anybody will a phone can disseminate information even before a trained journalist does” he said.

He averred that “You can’t prevent information from going out, the best way to manage public image is to run an open government, adding that the ministry must be equipped with trained staffs to do the work of information dissemination.

Maku said, new media has come to stay. “A lot of people are not comfortable with it but on the balance it is better to have them there than not” in our society today some persons used them for their selfish interest in the past but wants to chase them now.

Chief John Odeh, noted that managing information in the political organization is not different from the offices, adding that the challenge is trying to suppress the informations.

He said when you have information, you have to start your narratives before the opponent gets it and use against you, noting that managing information in the new age is different from the past because timing is of essence.

“You have to ensure to put information early in the public’s view, so that those that are not trained will relay it the same way you have done”

The media activist, Mr. Ochei Elias, submitted that Nigerians don’t believe in government’s information managers any more, noting that the government needs to engage the younger people more on social medie.